The Alberta government has suspended a number of environmental reporting requirements through a ministerial order signed by environment minister Jason Nixon, saying industry is likely to face hardship due to the COVID-19 outbreak if forced to comply with those rules. The order, which was signed on Tuesday, suspends environmental reporting requirements for the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), the Water Act and the Public Lands Act, except in cases of drinking and wastewater facilities. The province said operators are still required to fully comply with all other environmental regulations during this period and report any emergencies to the government. Due to the pandemic, we are simply temporarily waiving filing deadlines to report this information," said Jess Sinclair, press secretary to Nixon in an email to CBC News. "So, routine reporting requirements are arguably, in some cases, the bedrock of the regulatory apparatus."

Source: CBC News April 02, 2020 13:30 UTC